Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author's Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).
Chapter Seventy One
The Three Scalawags
Naraku and his brother sat in the drawing room of the master's bedroom, both silently sipping on tea that Steffan had prepared. The clattering of the tea cup as Steffan put it back on its saucer was loud in the quiet room, causing the much older demon to wince almost violently. Naraku licked his lips from the reaction, the small voice inside of him seeming to chuckle from the entertainment value of the motion.
"Well," Naraku spoke slowly as he leaned back in the plush chair his own tea cup held almost daintily in his hand. "Are you going to speak or not?"
Steffan took a deep breath and stared at his own teacup as it rested on its saucer looking tiny, delicate, and increasingly breakable. "I suppose I should." He spoke slowly as he brought a hand up to touch his fair hair, the hair of his mother, a Norwegian Weasel demon.
"So get on with it." Naraku commanded firmly as he took a sip of his tea, the hot liquid feeling comforting on his throat.
"Yes." Steffan nodded and leaned forward in his chair placing his elbows on his knees carefully. "I'm just—," He hesitated for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I'm not sure where to—start." He glanced upwards towards Naraku but his younger brother wasn't looking at him. Instead the young demon was looking at the ground, staring at the carpet, his face appearing impatient and irritated.
"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Naraku growled as he spoke, his eyes lifting to look at his brother, narrowed and angry.
"That's what I'm not sure of—where this actually began." Steffan thought but knew better than to dare speak those words out loud. "Yes," He cleared his throat and with shaking hands reached for his tea. Grabbing the cup, fingers shaking causing the china to chatter, he took one more careful sip before leaning forward and placing the cup back on its saucer. "Well, I guess the beginning is before you were born."
Naraku nodded accepting the answer quickly as he crossed his leg over his knee and placed his hands on the chair's arms comfortably. "Go on."
"Mother—I mean—my mother," He licked his lips slowly as the painful memories of a depressing childhood hit him straight in the gut. "She was sickly and was constantly in bed." His words were completely new information to Naraku; he had never known that the woman he called mother was sickly (truthfully, he had never really known anything about her at all). "Father—he grew tired of this I guess, we never talked about it and now he's—a-um-well—he's—." Steffan's voice failed him and he brought a hand up to rub at the back of his neck.
"Dead." Naraku finished for his brother when the man failed to keep talking.
"Yes," Steffan inhaled deeply and lifted himself back up into a straight backed position. "He grew tired of it, he wanted a more—," The older demon licked his lips, anger flashing in front of his eyes as old memories, understood in new ways, surfaced in his head. "Involved, shall we say, wife." He bit out the words, seeming to hate them as they were spoken. "At the time, Gavin and myself had a human nursery maid," He turned away from Naraku looking out towards the window at the night sky. "Her name was Helen."
Naraku felt all the air in his lungs leave him as the name hung in the air all around him. Instantly, an image of her flashed into his mind her beautiful smile seeming to echo even though it made no sound. "Helen?" He repeated the words, his brother watching the strange emotions play across his face with interest.
"I've never seen him, as an adult look—like that." He narrowed his eyes as he watched the innocence and pain flash over the younger man's visage. "Helen watched us all the time, day and night," A slight fondness crept inside Steffan's voice that he couldn't even begin to explain. "She was our mother when our real mother couldn't be one." He looked down towards the carpet slowly, his eyes seeing her face and her loving smile in the woven pattern. "We loved her and father—," He hesitated as his fondness left him, replaced by anger and a lack of understanding. "Loved her too."
Naraku's head snapped open at the words, his eyes watching Steffan for any clues as to what the innuendo might imply.
"Literally," Steffan continued as he brought a hand up and rubbed his face tiredly. "They had an affair and you," He removed his hand staring at his younger brother with animosity building in his light blue eyes. "Were the result."
Naraku felt his heart stop in his chest as he heard the words leave Steffan's mouth, information he had never thought possible coming to fruition in his mind. "Father had an affair." He heard the words his brother had spoken, listening to them as they seemed to float in and out of his conscious. "You were the result."
"She carried you, she birthed you," Steffan continued to explain unaware of his brother's change in mood. "Mother knew," His voice trailed off as he looked down at the ground anger building inside his heart, coming from deep within himself. "She knew and it—she—," Tears began to form in the man's eyes as he took a deep shaky breath. "She was sick—her body couldn't take it." He raised his head and looked straight at Naraku as if he was the most vile thing in the world.
"She died?" Naraku whispered the words, trying to comprehend what they meant to him.
"You killed my mother!"
The sound of Gavin's voice screaming at him encompassed his every thought. "But I—," He started to think even as the small voice in his head began to disagree with him. "That wasn't my fault—how could you blame me?" He thought but the voice instantly took a bite at his words. "Why not?"
"You ruined everything brother, everything!" Steffan punched the side of his chair as he suddenly spoke once more, the need to blame someone when he couldn't bring himself to blame a loving nursery maid or caring father, overwhelming him. "Our mother was alive, sickly but alive." He spat out the words as he stood from his chair, his fear of Naraku not strong enough to stop his own hatred. "Helen took care of us in her place. She loved us and we loved her," He growled loudly in the back of his throat. "Father was happy and then you—," His eyes shot up to look at Naraku all the malice in his heart there in matching blue irises. "If you would have never been born everything would have stayed the same."
"It was their fault," Naraku argued standing up from his chair, dropping his teacup to the ground where it shattered. "They did this," He pointed aimlessly towards the wall, as if his father and Helen were in the room with them and were standing right there. "Not me!"
"No—you're an abomination!" He screamed back his fist held so tightly at his side that blood began to leak from underneath his finger nails. "A fucking half-breed mutt that father took pity on!"
Naraku stopped breathing, the sound of the most horrible of things a demon could ever be accused of causing him to forget to breathe. He felt the truth hit him hard, a truth Kaede had been slowly informing him of for the better part of the past six months.
"Do you know the truth about your mother?"
The words settled into his head, pushing at his brain. "The truth," Naraku looked down at his hands staring at his shorter than normal claws with whole new eyes. "The truth about my mother—a human nursery maid." He turned his hands over looking at the dark fingernails as he brought them closer to his face. Bringing his hands up, he touched his skin knowing without having to look that it was darker than his fairer pure blood brother. "My mother—."
"Was human." Steffan finished biting out the words as he stared at the very creature that had ruined his childhood. "What a scandal." He shook his head and looked away from the completely astounded man. "Father had to cover it up, but for whatever reason who wouldn't just send you and your mother away." His eyes ventured towards the window as he spoke, looking at the moon as it began to dip towards the horizon. "He loved her, pitied her and she wanted you to have a good life—so father—father made that happen." He bit out his words as he watched the horizon begin to change color, darkness becoming light. "Since mother never went out it was easy." The older brother gulped as the dark secrets of their family spilled from his lips. "He claimed mother died in child birth and everyone believed him." He shrugged his shoulders and laughed with no mirth at all. "They never questioned your coloring, never said it out loud—I'm sure people knew," His voice became tight, thick with pent up emotion. "But they also knew better than to talk."
"So all this time," Naraku felt the voice in the back of his mind push at his psyche, causing the anger to build quicker within him. "The lies—," His hands began to shake his own frustration, his own self-hatred, his own fury sending shockwaves of revulsion throughout him. "They were bigger than I could ever imagined." He lifted his face to look at his brother who was standing across from him breathing heavily as if he had just run a mile.
"Yes." The man told him as he watched his brother for any signs of remorse or, more likely, violence.
"My entire life is a lie." Naraku stated more to himself than to his brother as he reached up one of his shaking hands and touched his black curly hair. "He lied to you." The voice spoke in his head, pushing the already painful emotions to greater heights. "They all lied—they hate you—and you hate them."
Standing across from them, adrenaline now ebbing, Steffan took an involuntary step away from his brother as he watched the hatred build on the younger man's face. "The lies were necessary." He spoke quickly even though his words were useless and he knew it. "Father tried to make it right, he tried to correct the mistake once Helen left—."
"How?" Naraku's eyes whipped upwards to look at his brother, the blackness of their depths causing the other man's stomach to sink with fear. "Did he try to kill me?" Naraku began to step around the coffee table as he spoke. "Drown me in a river like a litter of puppies that turned out to be wolves?" He raised his hand up as he spoke, bringing it right in line with his brother's neck. "Smoother me in my sleep?" Naraku whispered as he felt the voice inside of his head laugh as if it knew some great big secret.
"No." His brother turned towards Naraku so that his knees were no longer backed against the coach and held up his hands. "He didn't—he wanted to fix it, not kill you."
"Fix it?" Naraku repeated the words and lowered his hand. "Kill." He heard the voice in his head yell at him, screaming. "Kill—kill now—now—now kill." It repeated over and over practically shaking him mentally as if it knew what was about to be said next. "He—," Naraku tried to speak even as his head ached from the voices overpowering loudness. "Wanted to fix what?" Naraku managed to yell as his vision began to go black, the world seeming to rush around him, disappearing into nothing. "Kill." He heard the voice in his head and then nothing more.
"Your blood." Steffan's voice quivered as he spoke taking a large step away from his baby brother and running straight into a small end table. The man jumped nearly ten feet in the air as he felt it come into contact with his legs. Taking his eyes off Naraku for just a second, Steffan turned to grab for the table, steadying it before anything could fall. The moment he turned back around, he regretted not letting the contents of the table shatter on the ground.
There right in front of his face was Naraku, his deep dark eyes staring straight into Steffan's very soul, piercing him with their anger and might.
"Naraku?" He started to say but as he looked into those eyes he saw no trace of humanity left within them, only blackness.
"Die." The man said, even his voice sounding different as he raised his hand next to his head, blackened nails shinning in the limited candlelight. "Die."
Steffan felt his knees buckle from under him, felt his heart stop in his chest, felt his whole life rest on his shoulders, weighing him down so badly that he couldn't even hope to run. "Please," He tried to say but the black eyes before him were vacant of life. "It's just like the time with Gavin." The thought jumped in his head, the last thing he would ever really think.
Blood splattered on the ground, staining rugs from far off Persia with a permanent pattern of demon blood. The hot sticky mess splashed onto Naraku's clothes, onto his face and hair but the demon didn't even flinch as he pressed his hand into his brother's chest until he could feel his heart beating against his skin. Steffan's mouth opened, a silent scream building between his lips which the world would never hear. Blood bubbled up in his mouth, staining slightly yellowed teeth an exotic pink. Shaking hands reached up and clawed at Naraku's arm leaving little nick marks in the younger demon's flesh, which were promptly ignored.
"Na—ku-ku-u—," Steffan tried to speak but his voice failed him as his eyes rolled back in his head, his heart beating one last time against Naraku's nails.
"Dead." The voice in Naraku's head observed as it forced Naraku's arm to yank out of his older brother's chest. The limp body crumbled to the ground landing with a solid thud, the sound bringing Naraku immediately back to himself.
Instantly, life returned to the deep dark eyes and Naraku fell back away from the man he called his brother with shock written clearly on his face. "Steffan?" He started to say only to stop as the feel of liquid on his face and hand took his attention away from the body on the ground. Lifting his hand up he stared at the red hot blood, dripping from his claws and finger tips. His eyes traced its movements as it flooded down his arms, straining the cuffs of his jacket a dull red. "I killed him." He realized instantly, already used to having killed many a man by now; however, this time felt different. "I don't—when did—I don't remember it?"
"I do." The voice inside his head echoed and Naraku lifted his head up away from his hand, looking all around the room as if expecting to find someone. "I always do Naraku."
"Who are you?" Naraku questioned as he recognized the sound of someone—something—he had always known but never ever questioned.
The sound of chuckling filled him to his very core before he heard the voice speak once again. "Well Naraku," It sounded taunting, haunting, and horrifying all at once. "I'm the voice inside your head."
-break-
The Shikuro bobbed up and down in Dublin Port, the ship itself surrounded by dozens of others which lined the piers. Men screamed from vessel to vessel, merchandise being hastily loaded or unloaded by vast crews of human men and on occasion women. Only a short distance away a large overflowing city rested, bustling despite the lateness of the day. Overhead, a cool early evening moon hovered, the sun beginning to dip down below the city landscape as day became night.
Stretching his back and popping it, Inuyasha looked out over the harbor from the safety of his cabin. Worriedly, he bit his lip as he looked out across the busy ships and the countless humans manning them. He could see the flash of bright red hair and the rust of darker auburn. He could even see the strange coloration of the darker Irish, with their brownish burning red and (if he had been closer) their beautiful light green yet hazel eyes. Reaching up, he touched his own hair thoughtfully, running his fingers through the soft tresses in thought.
"It's been eleven years." He told himself as he turned away from the window and walked towards his desk. "They're gonna be pissed." He cringed ever so slightly and opened the top hand drawer pulling out a bit of twine. Reaching up, he gathered his hair in one hand, coiling it tightly at the base of his neck before tying it off expertly with the other. "I'll be lucky to get out of this alive." He went on as he moved towards his clothes trunk, knelling easily in front of it.
Flipping the little locked handles upwards, he opened the trunk and looked inside absently. The few sets of clothes he owned met his gaze: his spare blue jacket, a darker burgundy one he hardly ever wore but had been left to him by his Captain, one of two pairs of plain black pants, a random sword amongst the mess, and (what he was looking for) an old worn out brown cloak. Reaching inside, he pulled out the dusty object and tried hard not to breath as he stood up and shook the garment out. Instantly, a rain of dust and what could only be described as sand filled the air and floor.
Coughing, the dog demon growled to himself and turned his head to the side hoping the angle would be beneficial; it wasn't. "God damned dust." He held back a snarl as his eyes began to water and his nose started to involuntarily twitch. "Ah," He inhaled sharply as he closed his eyes. "Ah—chew!" His head snapped forward violently as the sneeze penetrated the air. Shaking his head, the young Captain blinked a few times before looking down at the old garment as if it had just committed a very heinous crime.
Still glaring at the offending clothes, Inuyasha sighed heavily before straightening and throwing the cloak around his shoulders. The brown material fell into place instantly encompassing him in a warm cocoon of familiarity. Reaching up towards his neck he grabbed the two straps which would secure the fabric and tied them into place loosely with an easy slipknot. With one hand he reached behind himself and felt for the ends of his hair making sure they were well hidden before he raised the top of the cloak to cover his head completely.
"I wish I had a mirror." He commented to himself carelessly as he bent back over to close the chest. Straightening the cloak until it was impossible to see his face or even a sliver of silver, the young Captain turned towards the door. "Here goes nothing." He nodded firmly before taking a step forward.
One foot after the other he walked across the cabin, clawed hands opening the door easily, allowing himself passage into the small hallway. He followed the corridor with practiced ease only hindered by a nausea that had settled in his gut. For the first time in a long time, he felt nervous and anxious but not because of a fight or a girl, he felt nervous and anxious because he was young. He felt young, like a child about to be reprimanded for a petty crime. It was a feeling he both embraced and hated.
Stepping out into the dying sunlight, Inuyasha instantly looked up into the musty sky, watching as seagulls flew looking for a possible roost. A few raindrops found their way onto his face but the Captain ignored them as he looked back down and pulled the cloak tighter around himself. "Gotta keep my face hidden." He coached with a firm nod just as he heard footsteps quickly approaching him.
"Otou-san!" Miroku called as he approached his oddly dressed father. "What on earth are you—?"
"Shhh." Inuyasha quickly hissed as he held up a hand towards Miroku's face. "Don't draw attention to me." He commanded easily as he managed to look left and right for potential trouble despite the cloak's ability to obscure his peripheral vision. "This is a human colony and they're not too fond of demons."
Miroku's eyes opened wide with realization and he quickly nodded his head in understanding. "Got it." He licked his lips slightly and turned to look behind himself at both Sango and Kagome who were waiting dressed in their normal men's clothing, not out of necessity but out of personal comfort; both of them had simply grown used to dressing like men. "Did you hea—?"
"We're not deaf." Sango narrowed her eyes and drew her lips into a thin line as Kagome giggled from beside her.
"Well pardon me." Miroku drew out the words, mirroring Sango's bored expression with one of his own.
Shaking her head, Sango took a step forward and drew her jacket a little tighter around herself as a few more raindrops fell. "It's starting to rain." She grumbled as she looked up and glared at the sky. "How can it rain and still be somewhat sunny at the same time?"
Beside her, Kagome looked up as well, her own grey eyes matching the color of the gathering clouds. "Up until five minutes ago it was pretty clear." She mumbled, blinking as a raindrop managed to hit her right on the forehead. "I've never really seen clouds gather this fast."
"That's Ireland for you." Inuyasha mumbled as he started for the gangplank, looking out across his 'human' crew. Currently, every demon on the ship (himself being the exception) was down below and well hidden. It was not that the Irish were mean people, in fact they were some of the friendliest people Inuyasha could ever recall meeting, but they were rightfully angry with the demons on the British throne, who had made it their life's mission to treat the Irish peasants like personal slaves. "I couldn't say I wouldn't be pretty pissed anytime I saw a demon either." He told himself as he stepped onto the top of the gangplank, motioning for Miroku to jump to his side.
"Yes, sir?" Miroku's voice came across as firm and solid to his covered ears.
"Shippo in bed?" He posed the question nonchalantly, the sound of Kagome answering from behind him not surprising.
"Yes," The girl told him, not waiting for him to even turn and look at her before she explained further. "He's in Myoga and Totosai's cabin for the night."
"Good." Inuyasha nodded his head firmly as he looked out across the pier. "I wouldn't want him wandering around here." His eyes took in the harbor slowly, enjoying the sights of men and women as they began to finish up their nightly work. "He might be a cute kid but," His eyes landed on a man leaning against the side of a building, Inuyasha watching closely as the human looked at everyone passing him as if he was waiting for a victim. "Hated makes people do horrible things." Sighing heavily he turned towards Kagome, Sango, and Miroku once more lifting his head enough so they could see his eyes. "This is a safest port in the world for humans, even ones with British accents." He told them truthfully pausing only a second as he gathered his thoughts. "But not for me—," He voice trailed off as he looked at them, gazing at the varying degrees of disbelief cross their faces. "Whatever you do, don't let a soul even think I might not be a human."
Kagome narrowed her eyes at his words, watching him firmly as he lowered his head back down, the cloak hiding his beautiful golden eyes. "How can anyone—," She turned her head to look out across the now slowly mellowing port. "Be filled with so much hate?" She wondered even as her subconscious told her the firm and truthful answer. "Because hate begets hate."
Stepping onto the gangplank the four adults began their decent onto the large port. The second they stepped onto the street, the world seemed to instantly change. All around them was a flood of people whom Kagome suspected had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Men and women, walking side by side, laughing as they carried baskets and buckets. Some of the women stopped every once in a while, money being exchanged from hand to hand so quickly that Kagome wasn't even sure what had been sold. Loafs of bread, pieces of cheese, vegetables and even salted meats flew from one hand to another, people bartering and haggling with one another right there on the dock.
"Sicín ar díol!" A woman yelled, her strange words assaulting Kagome's very senses as she held up a chicken by its back legs. "Ar mhaith leat sicín, cailín?" The woman called as she turned towards Kagome catching the girl completely off guard.
"Um—," Kagome panicked as she looked at the freshly plucked chicken with wide horrified eyes. "Ew." She just managed to say as the smell of the foul hit her nose. "I'm um—." She grimaced just as the Captain suddenly appeared beside her.
"Uimh go raibh maith agat." He spoke quickly while placing his arm around Kagome and quickly directing her away from the woman. "Táimid ag dul a ithe anois."
The woman grunted and waved him off quickly, her back turning to them and the chicken in her hand being thrust into another's face within seconds. Looking back at her wide eyed still, Kagome forcibly shut her mouth before turning towards the Captain who still had his head ducked down. "What—what was that?"
"She wanted to sell you a chicken." Inuyasha answered nonchalantly as he continued down the road, dodging the seemingly endless amount of people.
"I know that!" Kagome hissed as she nearly was shoved straight into Miroku. "Sorry."
"No worries." Miroku responded as he steadied her with one hand, his own eyes wide and seemingly intimidated by the sheer amount of people that had appeared as if from nothing.
"What did you mean?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as he reached and grabbed Sango just before she was lost to the crowd. "Stay close." He commanded as he held onto her, keeping a firm grip around her shoulders as he tried to watch the street without lifting his head up too high.
Pushing herself closer to Inuyasha out of instinct, Sango snorted. "You say that like its easy."
"It is if you pay attention." He shot back even as a boy of no more than ten ran passed them nearly knocking Sango out of his grip. "Pá aird, a bhuachaill!" Inuyasha yelled, the red headed boy turning around and looking at him apologetically.
"Tá brón orm," The boy hastily apologized and rubbed the back of his head, ash and soot actually falling from his hair. "Tá mé déanach don dinnéar." He explained even as he began walking backwards, dodging people as if by instinct. " Tá brón orm." He apologized once more waving at Inuyasha as he turned and began to run.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the excuse and continued on towards a thinning part of the street. "What were you saying Kagome?" He finally managed to ask again as he glanced at the girl through the slit in the hood.
Looking up at him with completely baffled eyes, the girl quickly shook her head as if to collect her thoughts. "The language," She told him as she looked out ahead of them, keeping an eye on any possible people who might suddenly appear in her path. "What is this language?"
"Irish, some call it Gaelic." Inuyasha answered simply, his eyes searching desperately for the route he was supposed to take. "The sooner we get off this road the better." He told himself just as he spotted a small back alleyway off to their right. "Thank god." He sighed as he abruptly turned, grabbing hold of Kagome and Sango while motioning to Miroku with just the tip of his head.
Scrambling through the sea of people, the four finally found themselves birthed into the safety of the much quieter and less populated alley. Breathing a large sigh of relief, Kagome straightened and looked back behind her at the seemingly endless stream of people on the pier. "It's like they never end." She commented to Sango who was leaning against the wall beside her.
"I know," The other girl agreed as she managed to fix her hat more firmly on her head, hiding her long hair from view. "That was ridiculous."
"That's putting it mildly." Miroku agreed as he wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his hand before turning towards his father. The man was patiently waiting beside an old barrel, his face obscured by the hood as he leaned against an old brick house. "Otou-s—?"
"Let's go." The man interrupted without explanation as he turned and started down the alleyway.
Glancing towards Kagome and Sango, the young man raised an eyebrow in question but the girls could offer little explanation. "I guess," He told them as he raised a hand to scratch at the back of his head. "We should follow."
"Let's follow then." Kagome agreed and started after the Captain, her grey eyes studying the scenery of the little alley with a mixture of amazement and curiosity. The road, now that she could actually see it and not just boots, was made of old cobblestones green with moss and age. As she stepped on each of the slippery rocks, Kagome found herself imagining all the things such old stones could possibly have seen. "They're probably even older than Inuyasha," She thought as she lifted her head to look at the man in questions back.
Instead of seeing her intended however, her eyes were met with the alley surrounding them. Small houses lined the little road, thatched roofs dripping with trickling rain water and doorsteps made of cold looking stone growing shiny with the drizzle. Lamps incased in cheap glass hissed as little droplets managed to make their way inside, nearly extinguishing old candles.
The sudden sound of squeaking hinges caused all four adults to jump and turn towards one of the more brightly colored red doors. A surprised older woman poked her head out looking the strangers up and down with dulled hazel brown eyes. "Tráthnóna maith." She spoke slowly as she opened the door a little further stepping outside with a small package in her hands.
"Tráthnóna maith," Inuyasha replied easily and nodded his head towards her without revealing his face. "Tá brón orainn má scanraithe duit." He apologized softly, the gentle sound of his voice actually causing Sango, Miroku and Kagome pause.
The woman smiled at him as his words left his mouth, her eyes seeming to become brighter with each passing second. "Ná bíodh imní ort." She told him as she reached up a hand to straighten an old scarf that lined her head. Her dark black hair, tinted with little flecks of grey shined in the lamp light. "Bíodh oíche mhaith." She nodded before closing her door and heading down the steps.
"Duit chomh maith." Inuyasha replied back with a faint smile, which could barely be seen from beneath the hood gracing his face. The woman sent him one more smile before turning away from them and heading down the street quickly as if she was late for an important appointment. Watching her go, Inuyasha shook his head, little drops of rain water splattering as they ran down the hood and hit his shoulders. "Come on." He encouraged as he turned back towards the direction they had originally been going. "We're almost there."
Neither Sango, Miroku, nor Kagome could think of anything to say after the strange exchange and instead simply continued to follow the Captain down the dark alleyway. Within seconds, the abrupt screech of a fiddle accompanied by the loud banging of a drum seemed to fill the air causing all three to look around for the possible source of such a noise.
"What is that?" Kagome asked as she tilted her head to the side, the sound of tuning instruments causing her to narrow her eyes.
"You'll see." The Captain replied without even turning to look at her, the brown cloak seeming to grow more taunt around his shoulders as he tensed.
Kagome frowned as she stared at his hunched back, only the sudden sound of a violin drawing her attention away from him. "Who's playing?" She wondered as they approached the end of the street, the noise growing louder and louder the closer they came to the end.
The darkness of the alleyway seemed to disappear the closer they came to the loud sound of the instruments. The sound became more cohesive with every step they took, a tune forming and a melody following the closer they came to the bright light at the end of the alleyway. With each step Kagome felt her heart race just a little faster in her chest, the anticipation of where they were headed finally making her pulse accelerate.
Finally, they stepped out of the alleyway, the blinding light of torches making Kagome wince before she forced her eyes back opened. Instantly, she gasped as she took in the sight of a tall bricked building engulfed with torch light. The red of each brick almost overpowered her senses as she took it in for the first time. It was two stories with big wooden windows, painted a dulled and chipping green with what looked to have once been white trim. The shudders were wide open revealing countless people laughing loudly and toasting drinks as music flooded their senses making them dance even without partners.
The front door was highlighted by two huge torches on either side of it, the colorful red and blue of its old wood shinning against the light. The most interesting thing about the building wasn't located on its windows, torches, or what laid inside however, but was painted just above its glowing door. There, written in a half mooned circle pattern were the words, Na Tri Scalawags: Tavern agus ósta.
"Is that?" Kagome started to ask as she looked up at the old painted sign. "Na Tri Scalawags: Tavern agus ósta," She read slowly not understanding the majority of the words but somehow knowing just enough to make an important connection. "The Three Scalawags?" She turned towards Inuyasha with wide eyes watching him despite not being able to see his face. "This is them?"
Inuyasha who had been standing silently, watching his family take in the sign, shook his head and sighed. "Let's go inside and get something to eat." He said not answering her directly as he headed towards the door of the establishment quickly. The glow from the torches around the door frame made the brown cloak glow as he reached for the door, opening it without pause.
Kagome watched as the door opened slowly, Inuyasha standing to the side so they could walk before him. The sight of what seemed like a million people moving all as one; dancing, drinking, eating, and simply living a life she had never really know, assaulted all her senses at once. It was loud, talking and laughing hitting her ears like a piercing shriek. The young girl started to raise her hands to her ears as a pounding headache began to form right on her temple. Before she could complete the gesture however, the sound of a violin seeming to float from within the noise made her pause.
A lovely melody she recognized and would have known anywhere was flooding her every sense. "Love of mine where have you gone," The words flooded her subconscious and she raised her head to look straight at Inuyasha but his face was covered still and unobservable.
"Let's go inside." Inuyasha said again as he motioned slightly with his hand towards the chaos within. Without thought Miroku and Sango started towards the door heading inside the tavern while Kagome still stood dumbstruck.
"Inuya—," She started to say but her voice became stuck in her throat as the music suddenly changed. The tempo picked up instantly and the people within the tavern cheered louder than Kagome had ever heard anyone yell. The sound of a drum suddenly keeping the violin's much faster beat hit her ears and then, a strange noise, one Kagome could only assume was made from a lute, instantly assaulted the air. Intrigued, Kagome stared into the sea of people inside the tavern her eyes straining to find the source of the new noise.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha was suddenly next to her, his gentle voice causing her to snap her head to the side in surprise. "It's much easier to see if you're inside."
"Inuyasha?" She watched as he slowly presented her with the crook of his elbow, silently offering her the safety of his arm. "Thank you." She whispered as she wrapped her arm up with his own holding onto him as tightly as possible, seeking his warmth and comfort. Taking a deep breath Kagome took a step forward, Inuyasha following her only seconds later. Instantly, the building body heat of the tavern hit Kagome causing the chill of the outside to evaporated the second she stepped over the threshold. "It's so hot," She thought as her body began to shake. "It's like the whole tavern is on fire and all the people are fuel for the flames."
"Can Alasdair MacColla!" A man suddenly yelled from her right causing her to jump and grab hold of the Captain's arm tighter.
Beside her the Captain actually had the gull to laugh before redirecting her towards a small table by the bar where Sango and Miroku were already sitting. "Take a seat," Inuyasha told her as he pulled out the chair and gently directed her into it. "I'll get us something to drink." He turned towards Miroku then, motioning his son with his chin to get up and follow. Not one to hesitate, Miroku immediately jumped up from the chair, a large smile on his face as he took in the chaos of the room.
"I like this place," He commented as he came to stand by his father's side. "Seems—," He paused and chuckled to himself just as a man went dancing by them, a mug of something in one hand and a girl wrapped up in the other. "Lively."
"For lack of a better word." Sango pursed her lips for a second before shaking her head with a smile. "Seems nice though."
"Yeah," Inuyasha's smile was just visible through the hood, showing off little fangs that only they could see. "It is that." He nodded and bent down to Kagome's level for just a second so that only she could hear him over the loud din. "We'll be back," He told her taking in her wide eyes with some worry mounting in his gut. "You gonna be okay?"
Kagome nodded but didn't make eye contact with him as she stared around the room mesmerized.
Straightening, Inuyasha bit his lip, worrying at it with his teeth as he watched her. "This is a pretty—well—this is culture shock for her, I guess." He thought to himself as he watched her for several seconds. The feel of Miroku's hand touching his arm brought him back to reality and the dog demon shook his head. "Let's go." He shrugged and turned away from Kagome, moving through the sea of people easily, Miroku tagging along.
Sango watched them leave for all of a second before glancing at the dazed Kagome with a little bit of worry of her own. "She looks completely baffled." The young girl thought as she too looked out around the room, watching as all the different colors of people's dresses and slacks seemed to blur into one big swirl of red, green, brown, black, and blue. "I can understand why," She gulped slightly, her heart feeling for Kagome's own shock. "This place is crazy."
Sitting beside Sango, Kagome forced herself to keep her mouth from opening wide and dropping to her chest. "I've never seen—even in Havana." She shook her head slowly just as a woman with an exceedingly low cut dress ran straight into the table with a loud crash. "Oh dear!" Kagome jumped up out of her seat even as the girl laid over the table laughing and giggling openly.
"Are you okay?" Sango asked as she jumped up to help the poor drunk girl. The woman took her hand readily and still laughing pulled herself upright using Sango's leverage.
"Logh?" She asked with a large smile on her face.
Sango blinked several times in confusion and tilted her head to the side. "Um—I—I don't speak—."
"Oh," The girl laughed loudly, throwing her head back with her own mirth. "'ou from them uther side of te pond then?" She spoke in broken English combined with the slurred tongue of a drunk person.
Not understanding what the girl had just said, Sango merely nodded her head in agreement.
"Feel sowry for 'ou I do, I 'ear it 'ard te live with 'em civil demons." The woman continued as she finally let go of Sango and turned to look behind her towards a man who was just stumbling towards them. "Ah!" She screamed suddenly pulling completely away from Sango and opening her arms towards the man. "Mo ghrá!" She giggled madly before stumbling towards the man and embracing him in a tight hug.
"Wow." Was the only thing Sango managed to say as she fell back into her chair and turned towards a still standing and stunned Kagome. "Kagome?"
"She was drunk." Was all Kagome managed to say as she turned and looked at Sango with wide and yet amused eyes. "I've never seen a girl that drunk." She tried not to laugh as she spoke but her own amusement was hard to hide.
"I know." Sango agreed, her own laughter barely contained. "This is the kind of place where stuff like that happens." She shook her head and brought a hand to cover her mouth as her amusement overflowed. "Every good town has one."
"This is—wild." Kagome said, beginning to feel much more at ease as she allowed her eyes to freely roam over the tavern, taking in the sights of the countless people. Enamored with the barely controlled chaos she smiled brightly as the Captain suddenly returned, Miroku right behind him.
"Well," The Captain said as he sat down the two mugs he had been carrying, the dark honey color of the liquid inside intriguing both Kagome and Sango. "I come bearing ale."
"Ale?" Kagome tilted her head to the side as she looked at the liquid swishing in the glass.
"Yeah, it's on the light side but that's all they had tonight." He shrugged and turned to look at Miroku who was barely managing to make his way through the crowd. "You okay there?"
"Fine!" Miroku hollered over the din just as he managed to push his way through to the table slamming the ale down as he nearly lost his balance. The frothy liquid splashed onto the table creating little puddles where it landed. "Damn." Miroku growled but Inuyasha merely laughed slightly as he pulled his chair out and took a seat.
"At least you didn't lose a glass." He commented as he passed one of the mugs to Kagome and then another to Sango.
"Like the guy in front of us?" Miroku snickered as he took his seat and grabbed for his own mug. "Cheers." He lifted it towards the Captain who nodded and brought his glass to tap against Miroku's.
"Cheers." He said before tilting his head back, one hand moving to the cloak to keep it in place while the other held onto the mug. He took two large gulps before pulling the mug away and hissing slightly with satisfaction. "I missed this ale." He inhaled slowly as if calming down a racing heart.
Taking a slow drink of her own ale, Kagome pursed her lips at the thick, honey sweet yet bitter taste. Resisting the urge to grimace, she pulled the glass away and sat it back on the table. "Are we going to get something to eat?"
"In good time." Inuyasha told her as he turned his attention to the musicians at the back of the room. "Let's just, enjoy the music for now."
Kagome nodded slightly as she glanced at Sango and Miroku who both could do no more than shrug. Accepting the answer, all three turned towards the live entertainment now officially able to see them despite the sea of people dancing. Standing just off to the right of the bar stood the small band consisting of only three men; two who were sitting and one who was standing with a violin in his hand. With each stroke of the bow he danced in place, the quick paced music exploding from his fingers far faster than seemed humanly possible. His salt and pepper hair was loose all around his face and his eyes were closed tight in what appeared to be not concentration but simple, pure enjoyment.
"He plays pretty well for his age." Sango commented as they watched the dancing violinist. "I mean, for a body to move that well and be so old."
"Yeah," Miroku agreed as he leaned back in his chair and took a long swig from his mug. "Look at him go, its impressive." He chuckled glancing towards the Captain who merely took a small drink from his own mug, not contributing a word to the conversation.
"Strange." Kagome thought as she watched Inuyasha who was sitting with his back to the wall beside her. His eyes were just barely visible through the cloak but Kagome could still discern their direction. He was staring right at the band intently, watching them as if they held some great secret she wasn't privy to.
Turning back to the band with curiosity building within her, Kagome focused on the first of the sitting men behind the violinist. He looked, if it was at all not coincidental, very similar to the standing violin player, his hair the same salt and pepper coloration. In his hands was a primitive looking drum, which his fingers were moving against with unnatural quickness in perfect rhythm with the violinist.
"He's just as good." She commented quietly just to herself, her words unheard because of the sheer loudness of the room.
Turning her attention away from the drummer, she looked just beside him at the last man in the gifted trio. This man, she noticed right away seemed somehow older than the other two, his hair just a little lighter but still salt and peppered. Across his lap was a strange instrument that looked like an undersized cello. Kagome narrowed her eyes as she studied it trying to determine what the instrument was.
"I've never seen anything—," Her own thoughts died before they could even dare be completed. Still strumming on the strange instrument, the man raised his head, turning and looking directly at their table. It seemed as if he was looking right towards her as her eyes came in contact with his own. "Those eyes—," Her brain tried desperately to process what it had just seen. "They're not green or brown or black or blue," Her mouth dropped open by a fraction. "Silver."
"You say something, Kagome?" Sango looked towards Kagome having heard the word which slipped from her mouth.
Managing to pull her eyes away from the man, Kagome looked straight at Sango. "They—." She tried to speak but her words failed her. "That's not grey hair, is it? They're not old humans." She told herself as she stared at Sango trying to articulate her thoughts. "They're demons." She finally managed to say as she looked straight at Sango with wide eyes.
"What?" Sango narrowed her eyes and turned her attention back towards the band quickly.
Raising an eyebrow from his place beside Sango, Miroku glanced at the men who once again were not looking directly at them. "Are you sure?" He asked squinting his eyes so he could see their features more easily through the cloud of smoke and sweat.
"Look!" Finally coming back to herself Kagome allowed the command to leave her mouth. "That's not grey hair." She pointed bluntly towards the demons, glad that the 'man' had already turned away from her and was looking somewhere else entirely. "Inuyasha—," She called his name hastily as she turned towards him grabbing for his arm worriedly. "They're demons, there are demons here!" She exclaimed in an unnecessary hushed whisper.
As if coming out of a trance, Inuyasha turned his head towards Kagome completely surprised. "What?" He asked slowly as he knitted his eyebrows together.
"They're demons." Kagome reiterated as she held onto his sleeve a little tighter and pointed with her chin towards the musicians.
"I know." Inuyasha said without any real emotion sounding from his mouth before turning away from her un-expectantly.
Before Kagome could say a word in retort to his unemotional statement, the music abruptly came to a stop. Quickly, Sango, Miroku and Kagome refocused on the three musicians as the violinist knelt down in front of the drummer and unknown strange lute, cello player. The tavern, surprised by the lack of sound calmed down for the moment, looking around confused. For several seconds the silence dragged on, the three men appearing to converse together, hunched over so as to reach the violinist ears.
Suddenly, the violinist stood a second violin and bow (where it had come from no one was really sure) in his hand. Smiling, the man's fangs flashed against the light as he held the second violin above his head. "You know who you are!" He yelled out over the crowd, his use of completely proper English catching almost everyone off guard. "And you know what to do." He added and stepped forward towards a small table which was covered with mugs and a jar filled with coins.
Deliberately, he put the violin and its bow on the table and held up his chin, a smirk forming on his face as he raised the violin to his shoulder. Tucking his chin against it, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Seconds seemed to drag on and on as the whole tavern waited from him to move and come back to life again. In a flash, his silver eyes snapped back opened and he nodded his head once deliberately before the two men behind him erupted back into life.
Fingers moving at an impossible pace, the sound began to flow from him, the beat reaching impossible heights as he ripped the bow across the violins bridge. Behind him the man with the strange lute moved his own fingers, strumming them across the six strings of the instrument with one hand while the other pushed down on them expertly, producing beautiful rhythmic sounds in perfect harmony with the violin. Sitting with the drum between his knees, the last of the three moved his hands at an impossible pace matching the speed of both as he slapped at the drum with his fingertips moving in an alternating pattern.
All around the tavern exploded into thrilled hoots and hollers as men and women began to pair off and dance to the insane beat. The sound of feet stomping on the ground as the people moved in tight circles added to the song's already unbelievable beat, creating an unheard of harmony. And then—the violinist sang:
A boy, a boy, no more than a child,
Stood at the shore looking little 'un mild.
His eyes went wide as he stared at the sea,
A look crossing his face of pure glee.
His voice, a beautiful tenor was accompanied by the deep bass voices of the men behind him, singing in harmony right along with him. The people in the tavern, apparently deeply in love with this particular song (even though the majority of them could not possibly understand it) laughed and continued to dance.
It was a dangerous face we could tell,
A smirk of fire straight from hell.
So we asked the boy stuck on shore:
"What's a smile like that done for?"
He said: "Look, look, look there at the sea,
Don't ya think that's a place for me?"
They continued to sing, the violinist pausing as he stomped his own foot in time with the drummer behind him. The people of the tavern right down to the barman continued to stomp as well as they swung around in tight circles. People sitting at their seats laughed with merriment as they joined in, stomping their feet to the ground or their glasses against the table.
We looked at each other, an eyebrow raised,
And greatly disturbed told him he was crazed.
"Don't you dare look out passed the shore,
Or we'll guarantee, child, you'll be sore."
The three men sang loudly as they actually looked at each other and laughed through the lyrics. It was as if they were sharing some great inside joke that no one in the tavern was actually privy too. Lifting their heads up, the men continued on singing so loudly that it almost sounded as if they were trying to wake even the dead.
Watch him disappear into the deep blue sea—
That boy was not for land.
The words exploded all around, every person in the tavern beginning to sing along with varying degrees of understanding. Some didn't even pronounce a single word correctly and yet still attempted to sing the strange lyrics.
Watch him disappear into the deep blue sea—
Never seen again.
Kagome watched amazed as the people tilted back their heads singing out the last of the chorus. Men and women, with their bodies pressed so tightly against each other they might as well have been one person, bouncing in circles in ways Kagome had never seen. "Wow—," Kagome just managed to say as the violinist erupted into a quick solo, his fingers moving so fast the violin should have caught on fire.
He fought with a might not know for his years,
Clawing at our hands and cursing for our ears,
With tears in his eyes we threw him in the shed,
Ignoring that boy as he cried and plead.
For many a moment quiet he went,
And then with a fury took his ascent.
With rage in his eyes he leapt on the door,
Ripping and tearing till it was no more.
And just as the sun hit the sky,
His claws broke free and he crawled outside.
He ran and he ran, found a boat and an oar
And disappeared from land and shore.
It was with those words that Inuyasha suddenly stood up much to Sango, Kagome and Miroku's surprise. "Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned as the man straightened his cloak without a word and grabbed for his ale one last time. Tilting it back without bothering to hold the cloak in place, he chugged the last of it down and slammed it back onto the table.
Watch him disappear into the deep blue sea,
That boy was not for land.
Watch him disappear into the deep blue sea—
Never seen again.
The chorus rang throughout the room as Inuyasha stood the cloak still somehow in place. All around them people stomped and danced, glasses slammed down and hands banged against tables. Breathing deeply, the dog demon turned away from the table and entered the chaos without a word.
"Wait," Kagome called after him, standing from the table prepared to go with him wherever he was headed. "Where are you—?"
"Otou-san!" Miroku interrupted her as he jumped up beside Kagome and started towards Inuyasha only to stop when the man turned and sent him a confident smile. As quickly as they saw the smile, it turned away from them as Inuyasha started towards the small table where the violin rested.
A sudden change in the music caught the small family as well as the tavern off guard as the violinist slowed down his pace as if waiting for something. Carefully he matched each note seemingly to Inuyasha's feet as the man made his way through the room. Gradually, people parted allowing Inuyasha through as they watched the strange cloaked man with curiosity more than anything. Whispers filled the tavern as the pace continued to slow, matching Inuyasha's every movement until he reached the table where the violin laid unassuming. With great poise, the Captain reached forward, his clawed hand seen by everyone in the tavern causing waves of unknown gossip to begin to flow throughout.
"What is he doing?" Sango asked in a hushed whispered as the Captain brought the violin towards himself.
"I have no idea." Miroku replied with a shake of his head from where he stood, as if preparing for a quick escape.
Standing silently beside him, Kagome bit her lip as she watched her intended raise his hand up towards the top of the cloak. "He wouldn't?" She whispered just as his fingers gripped the edge of the fabric and ripped it off his head. Silver hair flashed in the light causing every human in the tavern to gasp and cry out in complete surprise but not terror.
Smirking, the Captain looked directly at the older demon holding on to a very similar violin. The demon returned the smirk as Inuyasha put his own violin up to his neck and nodded his head once, as if daring the other man. Before anyone in the tavern could say a word further about the sudden appearance of a demon among them, Inuyasha slammed his foot to the ground and his fingers began to move.
The tavern was instantly filled with the sound of a violin being played to the point of breaking. All of his fingers danced across every string, hitting each note with such elegant preciseness that it all seemed too improbable to actually be happening. Across from him, the older demon joined in, his fingers moving at the exact same pace, so quickly that human eyes were actually having trouble seeing the bows as they moved. Behind them the drummer and the lute player provided harmony with surprising ease, while the melody flooded the room. All around the tavern the dueling violins filled people's ears as both the demon Captain and the unknown demon violinist, seemed to compete for who could play the absolute fastest.
Before the competition had been won however, both violinist ripped their bows off the strings. As if in slow motion, the older demon breathed in deeply while Inuyasha smirked right back at him. The whole of the tavern paused, the music at a complete stop as everyone waited for something amazing to happen. And then, Inuyasha looked at the drummer, his sharp gold eyes meeting the man's silver ones. The two stared at each other for a split second before the drummer took off with the beat once again and Inuyasha began to sing:
A wondering existence I'll live on the sea and,
Everywhere I travel that smirk will be.
On all the rivers, canals, the lakes and streams,
I'll wonder the open, in every extreme.
The sea will be my teacher,
My friend and my guide.
My new home the world, it's waters a treasure,
Only a god could design-n-n-n-n.
The words exploded from him as he tilted his head back and held out the lingering 'n' until he ran out of breath. The drummer continued on playing as fast as he could, the lute player matching him, as both Inuyasha and the unknown demon raised their violins back to the necks and began to play again. All four men began to sing the chorus of the song once more. Rough voices and gentler feminine ones joined in, the sound overflowing throughout the tavern, the human men and women stomping on the ground, keeping time with their feet, slamming glasses, singing and dancing.
He disappeared into the deep blue sea,
That boy was not for land.
He disappeared into the deep blue sea—
The word held on all their tongues as Inuyasha looked directed at the three men before adding the very last line of the song. All around him, the human's joined in, barely understanding the significance of what they were about to say:
One day, I know, we'll meet again.
-break-
The sound of whistling hit the ears of Kaede, causing her to open her new Shinigami eye slowly as if pained. Instantly, a bright world filled her vision, so clear and beautiful that her human mind almost couldn't handle the sight. Every flower, tree, bird, and even stone seemed far too clear to be reality, their every color so vibrant that the sight seemed physically impossible. Carefully, Kaede stood to her feet, her long black hair catching on the wind seeming to drift all around her as it freely touched the breeze.
Her youthful hands reached up to catch it as it danced before her face and she laughed as the tresses tickled her nose. Gingerly, she placed the hair behind her ear and blinking one bright blue eye along with one sweet brown one, stood to her feet. The sound of another soft whistle from behind her made turn quickly, the hair behind her ear falling out of place and hindering her vision. Closing her eyes against the assault, she quickly reached up, plucking the rouge hair away from her face.
"You look so young." The person that had whistled spoke, the soft feminine voice drifting sweetly on the breeze.
Moving her hair finally out of her face, Kaede laid eyes on a figure darkly shrouded by an unnatural lack of light. "Aren't we always young in dreams?" She replied as she smiled at the familiar figure sweetly.
"I suppose we are." The figure spoke, her own voice gentle as she lowered herself to the ground, a dark mass among the most colorful of flowers. Reaching out, her olive hand seeming to appear miraculously from within the darkness, she touched one of the light yellow blossoms. Instantly, the blossom turned to deep black ash, blowing away on the flighty wind. The woman sighed as she watched it go before turning towards Kaede, a flash of blue amongst her darkness catching the other woman's eye. "Hello Kaede." She said as she reached up, olive fingers touching the darkness, seeming to pull it away from her head.
"Hello Abeni." Kaede replied with a gentle smile forming on her face as she looked at the mambo's one bright blue eye. "You speak so differently in dreams."
"I speak the way you think." Abeni replied while wiggling her eyebrows slightly.
Kaede giggled slightly at the gesture and closed her eyes as the warm imaginary sun hit her face. "It's been a long time."
"So it has." The woman replied as her whole face came into view, the darkness that surrounded her leaving just her face allowing a black eye and a blue eye to gleam in her visage. Red painted lips smiled as she took in Kaede, watching the youth she had known with odd curiosity. "It's been a while since you needed me, young one," She tilted her head to the side and raised a thick eyebrow. "What is it that you need?"
Kaede hesitated for just a second as she lowered herself back amongst the little flowers. The petals of each one seemed to dance as she did so, perhaps celebrating her return. "I don't really need anything." She spoke truthfully and shook her head as if realizing she was still lying. "Well—nothing physical anyway."
"Oh?" Abeni blinked slowly as she watched the girl finger a flower absently.
"I just—," Kaede bit her lip, her mind feeling just as young as her body as she spoke. "I wanted to talk with you."
"About what?" The woman asked as she crossed her feet and leaned forward towards the girl.
"Why?" Kaede wondered out loud as she tried to look at anything but the mambo. "Back then, why did you—why me?"
"Truthfully," The mambo leaned back as she spoke. "It never occurred to me to be too picky about who I chose." She shrugged unseen shoulders, the darkness that encompassed her moving in a tiny wave of black mist. "Back then, I was really only thinking of one thing." Her eyes grew sadly fond as she stared at flowers she could not touch, even in a dream. "How much I longed to rest."
Kaede held in the urge to snort at Abeni's words and shook her head. "So I guess me showing up at your door was merely chance?"
"Aren't all things in life?" Abeni countered quickly and sent Kaede a gentle loving smile. "Still, whatever chance or fate brought you to me that day, I'm glad it did." She uncrossed her feet pushing herself up and away from the ground, the dirt seeming to groan under the weight of her character. "I could not have found a better successor had I tried."
Kaede drew her lips into a tight line. "Successor," She whispered the word sadly. "I spent ten years with you—studying how to be a perfect Shinigami, I succeeded you and now," She raised a hand up to touched the blue eye, not bothering to close it, knowing it wouldn't matter if she did or not. "Here I am—using your powers in a way they were not intended to be used."
Abeni shrugged her shoulders and allowed herself to step towards the sad women. "You know I don't care what you do with the eye—it's yours now." She was blunt as she spoke. "I gave up the Shinigami life and you took it on."
"To imagine," Kaede chose her words carefully as she looked up at the head connected to a black mass. "That I would live such a life." She raised her hands up to her face, looking at her young body, imagining the old one that awaited her in her bed. "Soon I will need a new body, a deal will be made that I wish not to make."
"So pass on the eye as I did to you." The mambo told her bluntly as she straightened unseen clothes with barely seen hands.
"And curse another to this life?" Kaede argued back as she too pushed herself back up to a standing position and looked directed at Abeni daringly. "People who make these deals are young and feel invincible." She felt her lips quiver as she spoke, her heart beating painfully in her chest. "They don't understand the pain of it, of this life, they only look at benefits and then they find themselves years later staring death in the face," She forced herself to look straight at the mambo. "Terrified."
"Something's troubling you." The woman spoke bluntly as she stared Kaede in the eyes, watching the eye she had known in life carefully.
Kaede opened her mouth to protest but stopped before the words could emerge.
"Is it the girl?" Abeni pressed as she watched Kaede fidget with her plain white cotton dress. "Kagura?"
Kaede's head snapped upwards and her eyes sprang opened wide. "How did you—?"
"Remember Kaede," The woman took a step forward, one of her olive hands reaching out towards Kaede. "When I gave up my existence, when I gave my eye to you, when I made you a Shinigami in my place," Her fingertips touched Kaede's cheek but no blackness overtook the faired skinned girl. "I became a part of you as is the way of Shinigami death." The woman cupped Kaede's cheek fully before tracing just a finger along Kaede's jaw bringing it to her chin. "I am in your heart, your mind. A constant guide whenever you need me and because of that," She allowed her hand to fall back away from Kaede slowly. "I will always know your every thought."
Kaede opened her human eye and sat up in her bed surprised. Carefully, she brought a hand up to her eye patch, touching the leather with worrying fingers. "She knows." She whispered into the dark as she shook her head quickly from side to side. "And yet she ended the dream without a single word of advice." Kaede sighed in frustration as she dropped her hand away from the patch and into her lap. "What am I going to do?" She wondered as she slowly turned her head towards Kagura's bed but the girl wasn't there.
She never really was in her bed anymore these days. Kaede knew that a girl who thought her life was close to ending would never spend her nights beside an old woman. Instead, she would spend her nights next to a warm man, a man she liked who liked her back.
"Who would have thought?" Kaede chuckled to herself as she tried to imagine a stranger relationship. "Mr. Hiten and Kagura, lovers." She smiled for one brief second before the corners of her mouth turned down and pain entered her heart completely.
It was only a matter of time before Kagura's Shinigami returned to them now that the deal had been completed. Kagura had found Inuyasha and delivered the necessary information to him, the deed was done and the contract between her and the Shinigami had been honored. Before Kagura was ready, her life would be over, her body given to a Shinigami who needed it in order to survive. The very thought of such an unpleasant life, taking bodies in order to sustain your soul, made Kaede sick to her stomach.
"How long before I lead such a life?" She wondered as she looked down at her hands, half expecting to see the youthful ones from her dream but instead encountering old wrinkled ones in their place. "Not long enough." She whispered out loud into the silent room."And Kagura—how much longer will you even be allowed to live?" Kaede felt her heart clench violently in her chest and tears spring to her human eye.
Carefully, the old woman brought a hand up to rub at the wet hot substance. The feel of it on her skin made her uneasy as she brought the hand away from her face and studied the liquid thoughtfully. After several seconds, she shook her head and grabbing for the sheet wiped the tears off her hand almost violently.
"If only Abeni hadn't lost her other eye," She spoke in a raspy hushed whisper as she felt the tears build in her human eye once more. "I would have had two Shinigami eyes." She blinked back the forming tears, tilting her head back so they wouldn't sting her vision. "And with them I wouldn't be able to cry."
-break-
The tavern was quiet as the song finished, Inuyasha looking right at the men while they looked right back. The humans didn't say a word as they watched, the adrenaline of the song finally wearing off and alerting them to the possibility of a dangerous stranger being in their mist.
"My boy—," The violinist suddenly said, shattering the silence as he took a step forward, the violin hanging haphazardly at his side. His face contorted into a strange look of both pride and anger. "Where have you been?" He asked bluntly as the other two men behind him sat down their instruments and stood looking just as proud, angry, and happy all at the same time.
"You know me," Inuyasha looked down appearing embarrassed or perhaps chastised. "I can't help myself." He smiled, his own expression completely flabbergasting his companions behind him. His face was drawn into a joyful smile, innocent and young, full of insecurity and utter, complete happiness. "Seanathair."
The tavern collectedly gasped with the exception of Sango, Miroku and Kagome as the word left Inuyasha's mouth. Abruptly, the sound of a million gossips entered their ears, speaking a language none of them could even guess at translating. "What did he say?" Kagome asked, turning towards Miroku and Sango confused.
"I don't know." Miroku's shoulders slumped and he opened his mouth as if about to take a stab at guessing. Before he could however, Sango (seeing the woman whom had spoken English to them earlier) reached out and grabbed her, pulling her towards them quickly.
"Excuse me," She spoke quickly as the woman, appearing only slightly more sober than she had been earlier, turned and looked at her with a happy smile. "What did he just say—you know in Irish?"
The woman quirked an eyebrow at Sango as she smiled and shook her head back and forth. "Wha' 'is 'en?" She tilted her head to the side as she spoke, laughter bubbling up from her throat loudly.
Looking only moderately irritated, Sango growled slightly before shaking the girl as if to wake her back up. "What did he say?" She asked, the frustration in her voice actually surprising Miroku as he watched his wife practically manhandle the drunken women. "Just now—," She shook the woman a little harder her curiosity motivating her rough nature. "The one Irish word he said—what was it?"
"Oh, 'ou talkin' 'out 'em—," The woman, completely unfazed, pointed happily towards Inuyasha a large smile on her face as she spoke the next words. "He 'alled Eion Grandfather."
End of Chapter
Please Review
A/N: For all you wondering when Koga will come in, never fear, we will hear about him in the next two chapters. He has an interesting connection in all of this that should be very fun to witness, I'm sure.
Bonus Point:
Who is Sesshoumaru's most trusted and beloved (cough, cough) servant?
Last Chapter's Bonus Point:
And the answer was, episode 19, "Go Home to Your Own Time, Kagome!" Congrats to the winners:
FlowingSilverDreams, Glon Morski, NurNur, 14 inu-kag, cristine44, kan78, AiydanWarrior, Saria Forest14
Notes:
Abeni – Yoruba (West African) name meaning, "we asked for her, and behold, we got her."
Lute - can refer generally to any string instrument having the strings running in a plane parallel to the sound table, more specifically to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either fretted or unfretted) and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes. Most scholars agree that the lute is one of the direct ancestors of the modern guitar.
The Irish I used in this chapter is modern Irish, mainly because I have no idea how to write in early modern Irish. Early modern Irish is the language that would have been spoken during the 1700's and until the mid 1800's. Modern Irish starts in approximately the 1820's onwards, and is different grammatically because the British had taken the responsibility of Irish education away from the Irish by the 1820's. This effectively changed the language and nearly caused the languages complete demise. Luckily, the Irish Nationalist movement advocated a revival in the 19th century, which resulted in the languages narrow survival.
Translations:
Sicín ar díol! Ar mhaith leat sicín, cailín? – Chicken for sale. Would you like a chicken, girl?
Uimh go raibh maith agat. Táimid ag dul a ithe anois. – No thank you. We're going to eat now.
Pá aird, a bhuachaill! – Pay Attention, boy!
Tá brón orm. Tá mé déanach don dinnéar. – I'm sorry. I'm late for dinner.
Tráthnóna maith – Good Evening
Tá brón orainn má scanraithe duit. – Sorry to have scared you.
Ná bíodh imní ort. – Do not worry.
Bíodh oíche mhaith. – Have a good night.
Can Alasdair MacColla. – Sing Alasdair MacColla. (The name of a popular Irish folksong at the time)
Logh? – Pardon?
Mo ghrá! – My love!
Seanathair - Grandfather
Next Chapter:
A Story of Three Men
See you then!
UNEDITED
POSTED 4/8/2013